Electricity-meter.



n. c. LANPHIER.

ELECTRICITY METER.

\ APPLICATION FILED JAN-8.1914- 1 ,21 9,648. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

p i w M u 9 JWW "'H, Q7 7 Witnessasn' In ventor:

pair

rns arnnr anion ROBERT c. LANlI-IIEB, or srnInerInLn, ILLInoIs,nssreivoa T0 SANGAMO ELECTRIC COMPANY, or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OFILL'INOIS.

ELECTRICITY-METER.

Specification. of Letters I atent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1917.,

Application filed January 8, 1914. Serial No. 810,951.

To all whom it may concern: 7 I

Be it known that I, Roisnn'r C. LANPI-IIER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectricity- Meters, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accomp anying drawings. 1

My invention relates to electricity meters of the type commonly known asmercury motor meters, and has for its object to provide certainimprovements in the mechanical construction of such meters. Suchimprovements relate particularly to the construction of the frame whichcarries the registering train and the devices for securing it inposition; to the connections between the armature and the registeringtrain, and to the manner of mounting the damping disk. I accomplish thisobject as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and as hereinafterdescribed. What I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure. 1' is an elevation, partly in section, illustrating the casingwhich contains the mercury chamber, the recording train being shown inoperative .position, and also the damping disk and one of the dampingmagnets;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing one of the supporting brackets for theregistering train frame, the latter being removed;

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the inner or back surface of theregistering train frame, one of the two locking levers being inoperative position, while the other is in inoperative position;

Fig. at is an edge view of'part of the registering train frame showingthe manner in which the main shaft thereof is mounted;

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of the mercury chamber casing showing thebracket to which the registering train frame is attached;

Fig. 6 is a partial central vertical sectional view of the damping diskshowing the construction of the hub thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the sleeve which carries the dampingdisk and the worm through which the rotation of the armature iscommunicated to the damping disk and to the registering train shaft.

Referring to the drawings,

8 indicates the casing which contains the mercury chamber and in whichthe usuai armature is mounted, as shown for example, in Letters PatentNo; 910,5 5, granted to me January 26, 1909. 9 indicates the armatureshaft which in my present construction also carries a damping disk10,which is mounted thereon so as to be readily removable and isinsulated therefrom so that the damping disk cannot ground to thepermanent n1agnets and base of the meter. The construction of thedamping disk hub and the manner in which it is mounted on the shaft 9are best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, from which it will be seen that thedisk 10 is provided centrally with a sleeve 11, upon which are mountedupper and lower members 12-13 of the hub, insulating plates lt-IS beingprovided between the mem bers 12-13 of the sleeve, and also between thesleeve 11 and the disk. Thus the hub as a whole is thoroughly insulatedfrom the disk 10. 16 indicates a sleeve upon one end portion of which isformed a worm 17 and which carries at its other end a pivot pin 18,which forms the upper pivot of the armature shaft 9. The sleeve 16 isprovided with longitudinal slots 18 preferably connected by anintermediate transverse slot 19, as shown in Fig. 7, so as to providefor clamping the sleeve 16 upon the armature shaft 9. The sleeve 16 isadapted to fit snugly in the sleeve 11 of the damping disk 10, the partswhen so assembled occupying the position shown in Fig. 2. 20-21 indicatesetscrews in the member 12 of the damping disk hub for securing thedamping disk to the sleeve 16, and also for clamping the sleeve 16 uponthe armature shaft 9. Heretofore it has been the practice to make thedamping disk shaft separate from the armature shaft and connect them bya suitable joint or connection, but by my improved construction I amable to make the. armature shaft continuous and removably fit thedamping disk upon it, the worm and upper pivot also being readilyremovable when desired. Thus the construction is very much simplifiedand the upper pivot can very easily be removed and replaced at a slightexpense without opening the mercury cham her or otherwise tearing downthe meter. This is an important advantage, inasmuch Cir as the upperpivot is more or less liable to be bro-ken or bent in shipment, and theobjectionable coupling heretofore necessary is entirely eliminated. Thepivot 18 fits in a suitable bearing in a screw 22, mounted in a bracket23, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The construction of this bracket is notshown in detail herein as it forms the subject-matter of an applicationfor patent filed by ()tis l/l 'hite January 30, 1914, Serial No.815,401. 24 indicates one of the usual permanent damping magnets.

25 indicates a registering train frame which is principally formed oftwo rectangular plates 2627 arranged parallel with each other andsupported by the usual pillar posts, the front plate 26 carrying theusual dials. The back plate 27 is provided near its opposite ends withtwo vertical slots 28-29, which are adapted to receive lugs 30, carriedby arms 31-32 of a bracket 33, which is secured upon the casing 8, asshown in Figs. 2 and 5. The arms 31 are provided with openings 34 havingsubstantially vertical margins adjacent to the lugs 30, as shown in Fig.2. 3536 indicate shoulders above and below the lugs 30, as also shown inFig. 2. The lugs 30 are of substantially the same length as the slots2829, so that when they are fitted in said slots the plate 27 bearsagainst the shoulders 3536, and at that time the inner margins of thelugs 30 formed by the slots 34 project very slightly beyond the surfaceof the plate 27. When the train-carrying frame is placed in position onthe lugs 30, it is secured by means of levers 37-38, best shown in Fig.3, said levers being mounted on pivots 39 so placed that the inner endsof said levers may be caused to project over the slots 28-29, as shownat the right in Fig. 3. It will be apparent, therefore, that by turningthe levers 3738 to the position shown at the right in Fig. 3, theirinner ends will then engage the inner margins of the lugs 30 and lockthe train-carrying frame firmly in position. By making the width of thelugs 30 such that their inner margins project slightly beyond thesurface of the plate 27, the levers 28 have a slight cam action whichinsures holding the train-carrying frame tightly in position. As bestshown in Fig. 3, when the levers 37 38 are in operative position, theirends project slightly beyond the ends of the plate 27 and are stopped inrecesses 40-41 provided in the end margins of the plate 27 in anyconvenient way, as by slightly offsetting suitable marginal portions ofsuch plate, as best shown in Fig. 1. In order to remove thetrain-carrying frame it is only necessary to swing the levers 37 -38 totheir inoperative position, when the frame may be withdrawn from thelugs 30, without disconnecting any of the other parts of the meter. Thetrain-carrying frame is further steadied when in position by an arm 42which is secured fixedly thereto and extends inwardly toward the axis ofthe meter, said arm carrying a tapered pin or block 43 which fits in asocket 44 in a bushing 45, fitted in a suitable stationary portion 46 ofthe frame of the meter, as best shown in Fig. 1. The pin 43 is providedwith a bearing for a pivot 47 provided at the inner end of a shaft 48,which constitutes the main drive shaft of the registering train, andcarries a worm wheel 49 which meshes with and is driven by the worm 17,as shown in Fig. 1. At its opposite end the shaft 48 is pivoted in theplate 27, as best shown in 4. When the train-carrying frame is removed,the pin 43 simply slips out of its socket, without disturbing any of theother parts of the meter, and it may be as easily replaced. Thus whensaid frame is removed, none of the adjustments of the train mechanism,including the shaft 48, are dis turbed, and when the frame is replacedthe pin 43 and the lugs 30 automatically insure the proper placing ofthe worm-wheel 47 with reference to the worm, so that there is no dangerof binding or other trouble due to disarrangement of the parts.

While I have described with considerable particularity the embodiment ofmy invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I wish it to beunderstood that the claims hereinafter made are not to be restricted tothe particular construction shown and described, except in so far assuch construction may be specifically claimed, but includes genericallythe subject-matter of the broader claims.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is,-

1. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve removably mounted upon said shaft and having a worm, anda damping disk adapted to fit upon said sleeve.

2. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve removably mounted upon said shaft and having a worm, adamping disk adapted to fit upon said sleeve, and a pivot secured to oneend of said sleeve.

3. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve removably fitted upon said shaft, a Worm carried by saidsleeve, a damping disk also carried by said sleeve, and means fornonrotatably securing said sleeve to said shaft.

4. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a slit sleeve fitted upon one end portion of said shaft, meansfor clamping said sleeve upon said shaft, and a pivot carried by saidsleeve.

5. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve slit longitudinally and transversely, said sleeve beingfitted upon one end portion of said shaft, means for clamping saidsleeve upon said shaft, and a damping disk mounted upon said sleeve.

6. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve telescopically fitted upon one end portion of saidshaft, means for clamping said sleeve upon said shaft, a pivot fixedlycarried by said sleeve, and a Worm also carried by said sleeve.

7 In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve adapted to fit upon said shaft and having an integralWorm, a damping disk mounted upon said sleeve, and means for removablysecuring said sleeve upon said shaft.

8. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve adapted to fit upon said shaft and having an integralWorm, a damping disk mounted upon said sleeve, a pivot carried by saidsleeve, and means for removably clamping said sleeve upon said shaft.

9. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve adapted to fit upon said shaft and having an integralWorm, a damping disk fitted upon said sleeve, and means for securing thedamping disk to the sleeve and for securing the sleeve to said armatureshaft.

10. In a meter of the type described, the combination of an armatureshaft, a sleeve adapted to fit upon said shaft and having an integralWorm, said sleeve being slit so that it may be clamped to the shaft, apivot carried by said shaft, and a damping disk fitted upon said sleeveand having means for clamping said sleeve to said shaft.

11. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercurychamber casing, a brackethaving supporting arms, lugs projecting fromsaid arms, a registering train frame comprising a plate having slotsadapted to receive said lugs, and locking members for securing said lugsin said slots.

12. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercurychamber casing,

a bracket having supporting arms, lugs pro- 'jecting from said arms, aregistering train frame comprising a plate having slots adapted toreceive said lugs, and locking members carried by said frame.

13. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercurychamber casing, a bracket having supporting arms, lugs projecting fromsaid arms, a registering train frame comprising a plate having slotsadapted to receive said lugs, and locking levers carried by said frame.

1 1. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercurychamber casing, a bracket carried thereby, a registering train frameadapted to be fitted to said bracket, means for removably securing saidframe to said bracket, a main shaft carried by said frame, a Worm-Wheelmounted on said shaft, an arm carried by said frame and having a bearingfor said shaft, and means supporting said arm adjacent to said bearing.

15. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercurychamber casing, a bracket carried thereby, a registering train frameadapted to be fitted to said bracket, means for removably securing saidframe to said bracket, a main shaft carried by said frame, a Worm-Wheelmounted on said shaft, an arm carried by said frame, a pin carried bysaid arm and having a bearing for said shaft, and a support having asocket to receive said pin.

16. In a meter of the type described, the combination of a mercurychamber casing, a bracket carried thereby, a registering train frameadapted to be fitted to said bracket, means for removably securing saidframe to said bracket, a main shaft carried by said frame, a Worm-Wheelmounted on said shaft, an arm carried by said frame, a tapered pincarried by said arm and having a bearing for said shaft, and a supporthaving a socket to receive said pin.

ROBERT C. LANPHIER.

Witnesses:

J OHN L. JAoKsoN, WILLIAM A. FURNNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.

